Defence officials say two nuclear-capable B-1b bombers from Guam and four F-35B stealth fighters based in Japan joined South Korean jets to conduct a bombing drill over the Pilseung range in the Gangwon province, which borders North Korea.
The B-1b bomber is heralded for its survivability and although initially designed to carry nuclear arms, it was converted to carry more conventional weaponry after the Cold War.
The US is believed to have at least six B-1B bombers stationed in Guam and is best suited to a ‘medium threat environment’, rather than a heavily defended airspace.
Speaking about plans for a possible preemptive strike on North Korea earlier this month, retired Admiral James Stavridis told NBC News: “The B-1 has also been selected because it has the added benefit of not being able to carry nuclear weapons. Military planners think that will signal China, Russia, and Pyongyang that the US is not trying to escalate an already bad situation any further.”
Meanwhile, the F-35B stealth fighter is capable of vertical or short takeoffs and vertical landings without requiring a catapult launcher, meaning they are well suited to using aircraft carriers as bases.
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In a statement earlier this year, the US Marine Corps noted: “The unique combination of stealth, cutting-edge radar and sensor technology, and electronic warfare systems bring all of the access and lethality capabilities of a fifth-generation fighter, a modern bomber, and an adverse-weather, all-threat environment air support platform.”
The news comes as Theresa May confirmed that British forces will take part in military exercises in the region after meeting with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe yesterday.
Mrs May made the announcement before attending a meeting of Japan’s national security council, an invitation intended to symbolise the two countries’ deepening co-operation.
The planned military deployment will be limited because of the strain of decades of budget cuts, and UK officials have said the HMS Argyll will only be joined by 20 service personnel for the drills next year.
The joint exercises will be the first instance where non-US forces have trained alongside Japan’s military on the country’s soil.
Speaking in Japan, Mrs May said: ”As two outward-facing countries with many shared priorities and shared challenges, Japan remains a natural partner for us on defence and security issues.
“I am determined that our defence and security co-operation will continue to go from strength to strength, enhancing our collective response to threats to the international order and to global peace and security, through increased co-operation on defence, cyber security, and counter-terrorism.
“And that must include confronting the threat that North Korea poses and ensuring the regime stops its aggressive acts.”
The news comes just days after North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan before it broke into the three pieces and landed in the sea.
The rogue state fired three missiles into the Sea of Japan but they either failed in flight or exploded almost immediately.
Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry has reiterated the severity of the situation on the Korean peninsula and urged the international community not to treat the situation like a computer game.
After Japan pushed the US to propose new sanctions against North Korea, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it was regrettable that some countries overlooked the UN Security Council resolution’s requirements for dialogue.
Meanwhile, the country’s defence ministry aid it will never allow war or chaos on its doorstep amid rising tensions on the peninsula.